Hacking Into A Heart
by MoonlitTheft
Summary: Hakuba got more than he bargained for when he found out he would be tracking a hacker operating from his school... HakubaxFreesia
1. Chapter 1

Hakuba Saguru sighs, running his hand through his hair as he eyes the folder on his desk with a slight feeling of disdain. Honestly? His housekeeper should know better than to accept some cases... Did the old woman really think he was actually interested in something as... mundane as this?

With a shake of his head he lets his brown eyes roam over the file again. A hacker has been at work, messing with the administration of people and driving the forces pursuing them insane. 'You'd expect them to only land me homicide cases...' he thinks to himself before snorting.

"Well, it's already been accepted..." he groans lightly, sitting back in his seat. "Might as well solve it quickly and move on." he muses, his mind running through the information on the file.

The hacker has been active over the entire world, targeting both companies and individuals. A scowl mars Hakuba's features. He'd much rather deal with murders; at least they go out and do things in the open instead of hiding from behind a computer screen.

Of course, the only good point is about hackers is that there aren't any dead bodies around, unless they drive someone into such a state of depression that they feel they have no other way out.

With a quick glance at his watch, Hakuba stands up in his seat and reaches for his book bag, shoving the folder inside of it so he can make some notes during break before he starts making his way to school.

School passes by fast as always. Of course, having one Kaito in class always makes thing go by fast and lively if not slightly embarrassing. Hakuba can only hope that he can get the sickly green color out of his hair very, very fast.

'Just wait... I'll expose you soon enough.' Hakuba thinks, all the while smiling pleasantly at Aoko and Kaito while bidding them goodbye as he steps into his car.

"How is the case going so far, bochama?" asks his driver, a kind man in his end-thirties.

"It's going alright, Ryu." Hakuba notes, sitting back into the comfortable seats of the car. "Is Baaya still in town?" he questions as a form of small talk.

"She is. She said she'll be back in time to start dinner, though." Ryu replies, smiling at the blonde through the rearview mirror before turning his attention back onto the road.

Hakuba hums in reply, his eyes shifting over the notes.

So far he doesn't feel like he's gotten very far yet, not without seeing the actual hacker work at least, and not with his own acquaintances working against said hacker.

However, he feels that he's gotten further then the police force had. While the police has been able to narrow down the hacker's residence to Japan, Hakuba has been able to narrow it down to Tokyo district by requesting information about hacking attempts around the time this hacker seemingly started.

What's more, one of those hacking attempts, one that failed, actually seems to have been made from the school he is currently going to; Ekoda High. The police hadn't really done too much with the information; having tossed it aside as a student trying their hand at something new and failing and didn't bother too much in looking into the case, preferring to spend their resources on other things; like solving murders and busting drug deals. Hakuba can't entirely say he blames them.

Letting a scowl mar his features, Hakuba taps his small notepad with the tip of his pen ever so lightly. 'So close.' he thinks, eyes narrowed in concentration.

'If this is really that hacker, then I'm so close. They might even be in my class and as of yet I am unable to pinpoint exactly whom they are.'

From the way the hacker has managed to completely avoid being apprehended by the police, even if a few of the earlier attempts failed, Hakuba can safely deduce there is a certain level of intelligence inside his hacker's head.

'All I can do now is monitor the computers at school...' he frowns lightly before shaking his head and tossing that thought out of the window. Schools are already monitored up to a certain level. If the hacker hasn't rung any warning bells in the school yet, he doubts they will start with it any time soon.

"Bochama?"

Hakuba blinks, looking up at Ryu who is twisted lightly to look at him.

"Yes, Ryu?"

"We're here." Ryu points out.

Glancing out of the window, Hakuba is slightly surprised to note that, indeed, they are already at his house. "Ah, thank you." he smiles at the man before placing his pen and notepad back into his bag and getting out of the car. "Have a nice day, Ryu."

Ryu smiles back at him before starting the car, his job for today over.

Hakuba moves into his house, noting that Ryu's words were true and that 'Baaya' is indeed not home yet. He smiles slightly, envisioning the woman roaming the food vendors in town and bargaining for discounts merely for the heck of it instead of an honest attempt to save money, before he moves up to his room and turns on his computer.

It doesn't take long before he has the files of all the students going to Ekoda High in front of him. "Now..." he murmurs, taking a sip of his tea. "Let's see who is most likely to be responsible for all of this..."

* * *

><p>Two weeks later finds Hakuba in front of his computer again, eyes narrowed in thought and jaw set. Notes and records are sprawled on the desk around him, names of suspects either added to a list or crossed out completely.<p>

Nothing.

Two weeks down the road, and still he hasn't found anything.

And the blonde finds it very, very frustrating.

Once more his eyes are drawn to the list of suspects. The list that is, to his dismay, a lot bigger than he'd have liked it to be.

"Finally I'm starting to see why Baaya accepted the case... it's not a ten minutes case like I'd have originally thought it was." he groans, shaking his head lightly.

He hasn't been involved in many cases that have to do with hackers, but the ones he was involved in generally didn't take longer than a weekend to solve.

Taking the two papers filled with names, he runs his eyes over them again, the papers having been checked so often that they have creases in them. The list consists out of students -and teachers for that matter- whom have used the computers at school, outside of classes, more than three times in the past few weeks.

It had been simple to acquire the names, the mention of it being for a case doing it for the person in charge of the computer room which is attached to the school's library.

'As long as they don't make a move, I'll have nothing to go on...' he thinks, placing the papers down with a sigh. The waiting game is one he is familiar with, but not one that he prefers. Of course, he has tried to lure the hacker out, tried to aggravate them by letting a notice be hung in the computer room that while in there, all students using the computers are required to answer any of his questions due to him being on the tail of a hacker, but the hacker didn't catch the bait and challenge him.

Of course, knowing that the hacker likely turned tail and ran is a very pleasant thought for Hakuba, if not for the fact that he has no doubt that the hacker might try it somewhere else in a while.

With a sigh he rubs his eyes, slightly red due to sleep deprivation, before gathering his books and preparing for school once more.

It is during break that Hakuba gets a phone call from an officer; the hacker is at work again. Eyes widening, the blonde abandons his lunch which he was eating, excusing himself from Aoko who was saying something and Kaito who was about to interrupt, before walking out of the classroom in a brisk pace, ignoring the confused glances of the two.

It doesn't even take him two minutes before he reaches the computer room the signal has come from, yet upon opening it, he doesn't find anyone inside. Through narrowed brown eyes he looks around before blinking as he notices a computer is one.

Cautiously he moves to it, eying the screen which is standing there, an IM screen blinking innocently. A glance at the number of the computer confirms that yes, this is indeed the computer from which the hacking has happened.

Slightly curious as to what he'll find, he reaches out and takes the mouse under his hand before clicking the blinking screen, feeling slightly apprehensive as to what he might find.

_/Hello, Hakuba._

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there is the first chapter of my new story, this one being based on Saguru Hakuba. Don't worry, readers! I haven't forgotten my other story; it will be updated in due time~<strong>  
><strong>Also, I realise that this chapter is a bit on the 'slow' side, but that's more because it's an introduction.<strong>  
><strong>Please excuse any errors that it may contain, thank you!<br>~ MT **


	2. Chapter 2

**/Hacker typing**  
><strong>\Hakuba typing<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Hello, Hakuba._

Blinking, Hakuba lowers himself into the chair behind the computer as he stares at the screen in a confused manner. The IM name with which is being spoken doesn't hold much interest, simply a few random digits.

He watches as a small text appears at the bottom of the screen appears, indicating that the other is typing, before a new text appears.

_/How is chasing me going?  
><em>  
>Narrowing his eyes lightly, Hakuba lets his fingers hover above the keys, debating whether or not to answer the message. As if reading his mind, a new message gets send to him.<p>

_/Don't worry. The computer won't blow up or anything just because you decide to respond.  
><em>  
>Hakuba feels himself tense lightly. The text indicates two things; either the hacker made a well aimed guess about Hakuba reading it and not answering, or the Hacker is watching him right now. Neither seem to soothe his mind much.<p>

With a sigh he starts typing. Nothing will come of it if he doesn't reply after all, and Hakuba has to admit that he's slightly curious about the hacker.

_\Why do you see fit to talk to me in this way?  
><em>  
>He types to the other before pressing enter. To his slight distaste he can see that his username is Saguru Hakuba. Apparently the hacker had believed that no one else would enter this room. Why? He has no idea.<p>

_/Considering how you've tried baiting me, I do believe that you were wishing for some form of contact. Of course, I also realize that you were most likely thinking more along the lines of me in jail, but hey, can't win them all.  
><em>  
>Hakuba snorts slightly at the text, turning it over in his mind. Unless the hacker is simply playing pretend to throw him off, he can deduct a few personality traits from the hacker.<p>

So far, the pattern of typing is by using correct words, yet not placed very eloquent. There also seems to be a twinge of playfulness to them and a slight smart-assedness.

_\And yet you did not bite.  
><em>  
>He sits back lightly, wondering how the hacker will interpret the sentence. As an insult? A question?<p>

_/Of course I didn't. Do you think me a fool? I know about you, Saguru Hakuba. I know that if I am not careful you will no doubt catch me. I am not interested in that happening.  
><em>  
>'Interesting.' Hakuba thinks, placing his hand under his chin. 'Seems like the hacker took it as a bit of both. Hmm...'<p>

_\I was merely wondering about your reason behind it, no offence meant.  
><em>  
>Hakuba lets his hands hover over the keyboard, wondering about what else to say. The apology should serve in placating the hacker, which is what he prefers right now. If he were to upset the hacker too much, there might not be any more contact initiated and he just can't have that.<p>

_\What is it you wish to find out by doing this?  
><em>  
>He adds to his previous statement. By no means a fool, Hakuba can only think that the other is trying to figure something out by attempting to contact him in this way. Why else would the hacker crawl out of their comfy little hiding place and confront him?<p>

_/I merely wish to learn a bit about the person who seems set on capturing me. Is that so strange to you?  
><em>  
>'Yes. Yes it is.' Hakuba thinks, shaking his head lightly. Try as he might, for some reason he can never understand criminal minds as well as he wishes to.<p>

_\No it is not. I also wish to learn about you.  
><em>  
><em>To capture me, of course.  
><em>  
>There it is again; a smart assed comment laced with playfulness. Hakuba narrows his eyes lightly at the sentence, wondering how to proceed. Truth, or lie? 'Well, they already know I want to capture them, no need to lie about it.' he thinks to himself as he types out a simple.<p>

_\Of course.  
><em>  
>After some slight hesitation he adds a new message.<p>

_\Do I know you?  
><em>  
>There is a slight pause in the response as the hacker probably thinks over Hakuba's question, thinking of whether or not they should give the other a few hints, before apparently thinking; Ah, what the hell.<p>

_/No. You do not.  
><em>  
>Hakuba makes a small sound from the back of his throat as he thinks this over. Assuming the other isn't lying, which he doesn't think is the reason ('Why else would they contact me, if it was only to lie to me? That doesn't make sense') he feels like he can safely deduct that the hacker isn't in his class. He'd know them if they were.<p>

_/Anything else? Oh great Detective.  
><em>  
>There. A taunt. A small smirk appears on Hakuba's lips as he spots it. That is something that all criminals seem to have in common; taunting. It shows confidence, ego. It gives him something to play on, something to react to.<p>

_\No, not right now. This conversation has, in fact, helped me plenty and brought me several steps closer to finding out your true identity.  
><em>  
><em>You amuse me. Really, you do. I bid you good luck in finding out whom, out of the remaining 217 people in this school, I am.  
><em>  
>Hakuba frowns slightly. Though he does believe that knowing personality traits of this person, he felt that bluffing that he knew more than he did would help him accomplish his goal faster due to the hacker's obvious ego. Unfortunately, it seems that his bluff was called.<p>

_/How about I help you out a bit more, shall I? Or do you feel that you already so much that you do not require any help?  
><em>  
>Hakuba's eyes narrow. 'The hacker is mocking me.' he thinks, feeling annoyance before he shakes his head to clear his mind, fingers already replying.<p>

_\If you wish to incriminate yourself any more, then who am I to say that you cannot?  
><em>  
><em>The log you have acquired from the computer room is useless to you. Only a fool would perform illegal acts under their own codes, don't you agree?  
><em>  
>Hakuba grits his teeth lightly. 'Stay calm. Not only is getting annoyed unlike you, but it won't help you either.' he thinks.<p>

_\I suppose. Now, will you tell me the real reason as to why you have sought me out like this?  
><em>  
>This hacker is making less and less sense the longer the conversation goes on.<p>

_/Oh? Seems like you really are as smart as they say you are. To realize I was holding out on you... interesting.  
><em>  
>Hakuba stares at the message for a few seconds. He had believed that he was doing this to figure out more about the hacker; to study them. Now he feels like he's the one being studied instead...<p>

'Interesting...' he thinks, unconsciously using the same wording as the other.

_\What do I call you?  
><em>  
>He watches as the other types, almost anxiously as he wonders how the reply will be.<p>

_/You may call me Mur. All these letters are contained in my real name. You may also address me as a female. These are the last hints I shall give you, since they fulfill my purpose.  
><em>  
>Hakuba eyes the screen, taking in the words hungrily. 'Mur...' he thinks, eyes lingering on the last part of the message.<p>

_\And what was your purpose, if you don't mind me asking?  
><em>  
>He types out, staring at the screen as he waits for a reply.<p>

_/Merely to even out the playing field. This is, after all, where the real game begins. But do you know who is the hunter, and who is the hunted?  
><em>  
>Just as Hakuba is about to reply, the computer screen turns black, drawing a swift curse from him. He reaches out, pressing the on button of the computer repeatedly; nothing.<p>

With a sigh he sits back, turning his eyes to the ceiling. 'This might be a more interesting case then I thought...'

* * *

><p><strong>Whoo~ Another chapter out! It's pretty short, just like the previous one, but that's how I was able to update nice and fast ^^<strong>  
><strong>I hope you'll all like it~ <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_She leans away from the computer as it shuts down, a slight grin on her lips. She knows it's dangerous to bait the detective, so very, very dangerous... but isn't that what is so much fun?_

_She gets up as the bell rings, easily mingling with students as the throng passes by the computer room Hakuba exits from. Their eyes meet for a split second, but he walks on, not thinking anything of it._

_She can see the thoughts whirling around his head, causing her to duck her head slightly to hide her growing grin from the students around her. Yes, this is so much fun..._

* * *

><p>Hakuba moves to his seat in his next class, greeting Kaito and Aoko with a simple wave of his hand as he takes out his notebook, starting to make a few notes on what he gathered so far.<p>

MUR

_Facts:  
><em>- Ego.  
>- Playful.<br>- Witty.  
>- Pays attention to grammar well enough.<br>- Not in this class.  
>- Female.<br>- Letters M. U. R appear in her name.  
>Doesn't use own codes when hacking.<p>

_Guesses:  
><em>- Might hack due to boredom, which explains the willingness to play the game.  
>- Might make contact at a later date.<br>- Appears to be fairly intelligent; doesn't give away too much with 'hints', yet enough to achieve goal.

He drums his fingers on the table lightly as he looks the lists over, searching for more clues. These might have been helpful if he was more familiar with the people at the school, yet at the moment he can only find himself stumped.

He knew he should've been more social with his school mates. Fortunately, he knows someone in this school who _is_social...

Reaching over, he taps Kaito's shoulder lightly. "I wish to speak to you once school ends." he murmurs to the other as to not disturb the lesson too much.

Kaito eyes him for a few seconds before shrugging and nodding.

A small smirk makes its way on Hakuba's lips. He has no doubt in mind that Kaito expects him to pounce on him concerning the other's 'night job' once more, even though Hakuba already knows that won't do anything for him. The blabbermouth can be quite tight lipped if he wants to be...

Without further ado he turns his attention to the teacher as he puts the small notebook away, figuring that he might as well pay attention to the rest of the lesson, even though he's already familiar with the material.

* * *

><p>The end of the school day has Kaito jogging up to Hakuba, stopping his light jog once he reaches the other.<p>

"So... what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asks, confusion obvious in his face. Whether it's fake or real, Hakuba doesn't bother to decipher.

"I need you to find something out for me." Hakuba comments. "I have here a list with some girls from this school. I need you to figure out whom fits the criteria of this list." he comments, holding up a copy of the notes he has made in class earlier.

Kaito blinks, taking the list before looking it over, then takes the list with 17 names on it. "Eh, okay?" he comments. "And you want me to do this?" he asks, verifying it for himself.

"If you'd please." Hakuba replies, shrugging lightly. "We both know that you are on a better social level with the people in school then I am so it would be more beneficial if I were to leave this up to you.

Kaito can feel a sweat drop forming at the back of the head, keeping from retorting with a 'I'm on a better social level with _everyone'_. Instead he grins at the blonde and shrugs. "Sure, no problem." he comments. "Was that all?"

Hakuba eyes him for a bit before shrugging. "Yes, that would be all." he comments, watching as Kaito turns away from him and prepares to dash off to where Aoko is waiting for him.

"Oh, and Kaito?" Hakuba comments, innocently enough.

"Yeah?" Kaito grins back at him over his shoulder before wincing slightly as Hakuba smirks at him.

"Don't think you're cleared from suspicion just yet. I am merely taking a small break from chasing you until you strike yet again."

Kaito can't help but shiver lightly before hurriedly rushing over to Aoko while putting the lists into his bag.

Hakuba chuckles softly as he watches him go before shaking his head and starting to walk to his car, Ryu waiting patiently to pick him up.

* * *

><p><strong>... Whoa. That was a... VERY short chapter. Sorry about that o_O;; I'll try to make the chapters longer in the future... ^^;;<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

After a few days of waiting impatiently, Hakuba is finally rewarded with Kaito placing a small slip of paper on his desk.

"This is it?" Hakuba asks, looking at the paper only to see three names on it.

"Yep, they're the only ones that matched out of your list of 57 people." Kaito replies, shuddering lightly as he thinks back to actually having sorted through the list one by one.

"Hmm... Thank you. I will remember this." Hakuba muses, picking up the paper.

"Don't worry; I'll remind you." Kaito teases before moving back to his seat.

Hakuba snorts softly as he lets his eyes roam over the names carefully.

- Miho Kure  
>- Rio Munna<br>- Freesia Muraki

Almost immediately he decides to scratch Rio from the list. He remembers her; the girl from the class next doors confessed to him in his second week at the school only to get rejected, thus he knows her.

'That leaves two...' he thinks, making a note to ask the principal for their contact information, confidential or not. He has a job to do after all.

* * *

><p>Back in his room, he looks over the two student files. First he grabs the one belonging to Miho, the picture of a girl with black hair and big black eyes staring back at him.<p>

Hakuba readily admits that the girl is quite pretty. Looking over the file he can see that the girl is apparently a member of the archery club and gets good grades.

She appears to be living with her father in a house close to the school, her mother living somewhere else. 'Problems at home can cause someone to go onto the wrong path...' Hakuba thinks, putting the file away again.

Grabbing the other picture, his eyes meet the picture of a girl with black hair that seems long, tied into a ponytail. Light blue eyes stare back at him and upon reading her file his suspicions on her heritance are confirmed.

Her father, who seems to be from the US, has died in war several years ago. On the other hand, the file doesn't mention anything on her mother as she seems to be living alone in an apartment, 20 minutes away from the school.

Upon checking the grades of the girl he sees that they are merely average, something that seems slightly suspicious in the blonde's eyes. His list contained that the person he was looking for was fairly intelligent at the least, not average. However, he doubt that Kaito could've made a mistake in his findings, hence why he finds it slightly suspicious.

He makes a mental note on their classrooms and puts the files away, deciding to check them out the next day at school.

* * *

><p>Sitting outside the school building, Hakuba keeps his eyes on the students entering. He's been waiting for nearly an hour now, watching everyone like a hawk.<p>

The first one whom enters the building is Freesia who is in the same grade as Hakuba but in a different class. Hakuba watches her walk inside on her own, her eyes on her cell phone as she seems to be texting someone.

The second one that enters is Miho who is a year older than Hakuba is and can thus be found a grade higher. She seems to draw some eyes to her as she walks, chatting with a guy as they move inside.

Hakuba carefully makes note of their behavior, turning their actions back and front in his mind to see if he can find any faults in it.

So far he can't say for sure whom of the two is more suspicious. Since Mur seems to be hacking out of boredom it can be either of them, really.

Freesia didn't have anyone with her, signaling that she might not have anyone to go to school with or to wait for outside, which can be translated into loner, if not for the fact that she seemed to be texting someone. Then again, Hakuba didn't see exactly what she was doing on her phone; for all he knows she could've just been playing a game.

Miho was talking to her handsome friend, looking a bit too cozy to just be 'friends'. Hakuba can only imagine that with her looks she can have nearly anything she wants, something that can turn into boredom which, again, allows for a chance to turn to hacking.

With a slight frown, Hakuba decides that he isn't a single step closer to his goal of finding out exactly who the hacker is. 'Time to be a bit more aggressive, it seems...' he thinks, moving to the class.

* * *

><p>When opening his locker at the end of the day, Hakuba is surprised to find a simple note inside of it.<p>

[Computer no. 16]

it states. With a small smirk he pockets the note. As he expected; Mur has approached him once again.

* * *

><p><em>Hello, Hakuba.  
><em>  
>Hakuba snorts softly as he sinks into the seat behind the computer, the IM conversation open.<p>

_\Hello, Mur.  
><em>  
><em>How is capturing me going for you?  
><em>  
>Hakuba snorts lightly at the question before deciding to answer it.<p>

_\Quite well, actually. You're either the one, or the other.  
><em>  
>Mur might be thinking of being caught a bit too lightly, but Hakuba is sure that that news will remedy that.<p>

_/Oh? That's quite interesting.  
><em>  
>Or not, of course. Hakuba frowns lightly. 'Why can't criminals ever stick to things that make sense?' Had Mur been facing confidence, Hakuba knows he'd have spotted it straight away. Mur would've blown up the fact that she didn't care, but instead he got a neutral response; nothing he can work with.<p>

_\Why is it that you are so calm about that?  
><em>  
>He can't help but wonder about the lack of response from the other.<p>

_/That's quite simple. I don't really care whether or not you manage to find out who I am, because...  
><em>  
>Oh how he hates it when people leave him hanging like this. And for no real reason too. But he'll bite.<p>

_\Because...?  
><em>  
><em>Because once you figure out who I am, you'll still have to prove it.  
><em>  
>Hakuba blanches at the answer. He hadn't thought about that. <p>

* * *

><p><strong>I'll try to make the next chapter longer, really! x.x<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Hakuba rings the doorbell of the big house he is standing in front of, taking some time to admire the garden around him. It seems to be well kept and well loved. He hears some movement from inside and the door is opened by an elderly man in a suit. 'A butler.' Hakuba thinks upon spotting him. Though the big house had already tipped him off on Miho's financial state, the fact that there is personnel in her house only confirms her suspicions.

"May I help you?" The man asks in soft tones, his wrinkled face kind.

"I am looking for Kure-chan." Hakuba responds, making sure to change the suffix so that the man won't lead him to Miho's father.

The butler nods and steps aside to let Hakuba in. Hakuba slips out of his shoes and follows the man through the a few hallways. Artworks decorate the walls tastefully and immediately Hakuba starts to calculate possible values. He gives up on this by the time he reaches the fourteenth one. Though he hadn't cared much about reading up on Miho's father, a business man, just yet he can now easily see that the man happens to be a very successful one.

'Rich and beautiful. Things seem to come naturally to her which may be cause for her to find her hobbies elsewhere.' he calculates.

He stops when the butler does so and watches the man knock on a door. "Miho-sama. You have a visitor." the man announces.

"Let him in." Comes a female voice from the other side of the door. Though he has never actually heard Miho talk, Hakuba easily assumes that the voice belongs to Miho.

The butler opens the door, allowing Hakuba to step inside. The blonde glances around the room. It is spacious and ordered neatly. At the desk Miho is sitting, no longer dressed in her school uniform, schoolbooks open. She turns to the detective, using the rotational function of her chair to do so. "Yes?" she questions, raising an eyebrow at him.

Hakuba can't help but be slightly taken aback the moment her eyes pierce into his. She picture and the looks from the distance really did nothing to show just how intimidating her eyes can be even though she keeps her face perfectly blank. He shakes off the feeling of unease he gets upon being alone in the same room as her and clears his throat, "Good day, Kure-san. I am Saguru Hakuba. Are you aware that I am currently handling a hacker case at the school?" Hakuba asks, eyes sharp as he pays attention to Miho's reaction to his words. To his disappointment, there are none.

"And? Since you're here confronting me about it, I assume I'm a suspect, am I not?" Miho responds.

Ah, there they go- the quick wit that Kaito said she'd have. "Indeed you are. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you generally do when on the computers at the school?" Hakuba asks.

Miho merely narrows her eyes ever so slightly. "As a matter a fact, I _do _mind." she states, crossing her arms over her chest.

"... Pardon?" Hakuba raises his eyebrows at the response. Though rejection is a perfectly possible outcome, it is highly uncommon for it to actually happen- people prefer to get their alibis checked and get marked off as innocent after all, unless they have yet to hide the evidence.

"I said that I mind." Miho repeats without missing a beat.

"A few questions and a quick glance at your computer will help in proving your innocence, if you really are innocent." Hakuba points out.

"I refuse to let you breech my privacy without a proper warrant or such," Miho responds, tilting her chin up a little.

"What makes you think I don't have one?" Hakuba asks in turn.

"Because you'd have pulled it out by now."

Well, that much is true. Hakuba frowns lightly- there really isn't much he can do without concent if he doesn't have a warning, not in her house at least. "That much is true," he admits "but don't get me wrong, I can have one by the end of today if need be."

"Then I will see you back by the end of today," Miho replies "with that warrant."

Hakuba forces a polite smile. "Good day to you, Kure-san." he states.

"And to you, Hakuba-san."

Hakuba turns on his heel and exits the room, nodding at the butler when the man lets him out, before he heads back to his car.

"Any luck, bochama?" asks the driver.

"Little," Hakuba responds, getting his seatbelt in order.

"Ah, but that's better than nothing, isn't it?" Ryu answers, a smile on his lips as he starts the car.

"Hmhm, it's a _lot_better than nothing." Hakuba answers.

Ryu's smile widens lightly as he drives Hakuba off to the apartment building that marks the next stop on the list. Once they arrive, Hakuba steps out of the car, glancing up at the simple gray building with a slight disdain- it could use some improvement.

He moves to the door, ringing the doorbell to no. 31- Freesia Muraki's house. For a minute there is no answer and Hakuba worries that she might not be home. He reaches out to ring the bell again, just in case, when a voice can be heard.

"Yeah?" she sounds sleepy, as if just woken up from a nap.

"Freesia Muraki?" Hakuba asks.

"Yeah, who is it?"

"It's Saguru Hakuba from school, do you have some time?"

"Aren't you the detective working on that hacker case?"

"I am." Hakuba replies.

"Sure, come on up. Third floor." Freesia responds before a small beep signals the opening of the glass doors.

Hakuba barely suppresses a sigh of relieve- for a moment he thought that he'd be rejected again. Within minutes he arrives at the third floor, finding the front door to no. 31 slightly ajar.

Immediately his detective instincts ring alarm bells before he shakes his head- no, he just talked to her, the open door shows that she's expecting him, nothing else. No corpse will be waiting for him inside, hopefully.

He pushes the door open, stepping inside. "Hello?" he calls.

"I'll be there in a minute, you can wait in the living room if you want!" Freesia calls from what Hakuba assumes is her bedroom.

Hakuba glances around the small hallway before spotting an open door that leads to a relatively messy living room. He enters it, looking around. The thing that grabs his attention right away is the dining table that is filled with three computer monitors, a computer itself and two laptops stacked on top of each other. He faintly notices a few cat toys spread around, but he doesn't see any cats.

"..." Surely Mur won't be that obvious, right? There is obvious and there is idiocy- Mur has proven to be far from an idiot, but maybe this is part of the plan? Being so obvious that it's too suspicious for her to actually be suspicious? Hakuba shakes his head lightly- he'll figure it out soon enough.

"Sorry about the wait, I'd been sleeping." Freesia says sheepishly as she enters the living room.

"That's alright, I'm sorry for coming by unexpected." Hakuba responds as he turns to her, taking in the ruffled school uniform- seems like she knocked out right after coming home.

"So... Would you like a drink while you tell me what you're doing here?" Freesia asks.

"Ah, yes please, thank you." Hakuba answers, watching Freesia dart into the kitchen. So far nothing is too strange yet, apart from the computers.

"Seems like you're very interested in computers?" he calls.

"Yeah, I use them for work," Freesia calls back "Tea? Coffee? Juice? Water?"

"Tea, please." Hakuba responds, narrowing his eyes lightly. Work, hm? Another point that seems to make it seem too good to be true in regards to the case. Is she actually a friend of Kaito's and are they making fun of each other? Somehow Hakuba doubts that, since Kaito knows better then to mess around with his cases. "What kind of work do you do?" he asks.

"I'm a freelance site designer," Freesia responds, walking into the living room "the water is heating up now."

"Alright, so you design websites?" Hakuba repeats. This is all coming at him on a silver platter, isn't it? Alarm bells go off in Hakuba's head- surely it can't be this easy. He lets his eyes linger on Freesia's relaxed face and he redraws that thought- apparently it isn't or she wouldn't be so at ease. "Is that actually enough to make a living?"

"Yeah, it's pretty decent money if you advertise yourself properly." Freesia shrugs casually.

"How do you advertise yourself for such, if you don't mind me asking?" Hakuba states as Freesia moves back into the kitchen upon hearing the click of the water boiler.

"By setting up my own site, if you want you can turn on my computer- my site is the first thing that pops up when the internet is accessed." Freesia offers.

Hakuba glances at the computer and frowns lightly- he's getting access to the computer this easily? Without even having to ask for it? Something is very, very fishy about that all...

"Do you know why I'm here, Muraki-san?" Hakuba asks.

"Ah, please call me Freesia- I'm not very comfortable with the Japanese system in names." Freesia says as she returns with a cup of tea.

Hakuba raises an eyebrow at this- Freesia's father might be a foreigner, but according to her files, Freesia has always lived in Japan herself. "Any particular reason?" he asks curiously.

"I am mostly in contact with English people, is all." Freesia says, a slight grin on her lips.

'English, such as myself. Does she actually mean me, or are there others?' Hakuba thinks as he takes the cup, sniffing it lightly for poisonous additions out of habit, before taking a sip. "Earl Gray?" he guesses upon tasting it.

"Yes, freshly imported from England." Freesia confirms.

"English tea is your preference?" Hakuba asks.

"Not quite, I just believe that it's a good thing to be prepared for all sorts of guests, don't you think?" Freesia asks, a slight grin on her lips.

Hakuba's grip on the cup tightens a little as he forces a polite smile. "Indeed," he answers. Yes. This is definitely the one- the haughty answers, the whole air that is given out and the arrogance in that there is no need to hide as long as she has hid the evidence. No doubt about it. He has found Mur.

"I believe you were going to tell me why you were here?" Freesia says, sitting down on her couch.

"I am here to see if you have any evidence laying around of being Mur." he says.

"Mur? What's that?" Freesia asks, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Ah, right. Innocent until proven guilty- no confession is something anyone would play at. "A hacker," Hakuba answers, deciding to humor her.

"Hehh~ You can't just go and accuse anyone of being a hacker, you know?" Freesia says amused, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

"I'm plenty sure that it's you- I just have yet to find the evidence." Hakuba states.

"There is no evidence to be found though." Freesia replies.

"We'll see." Hakuba says simply. 'This is Kaito all over again.' he thinks.

"Well, if you wish to search for evidence, then by all means- knock yourself out." Freesia says, spreading her arms out to the room in an invitation.

"I will," Hakuba promises with a nod even though he doubts he'll actually find anything. He's not stupid enough to underestimate the girl.

"Want me to turn on the laptops for you? One of them has a password." Freesia offers.

"Why protect one and not the other?" Hakuba asks, immediately suspicious.

"Because that's the one I use for personal mails and pictures- but since you're such a well known detective, you've already seen all sorts of pictures, haven't you?" Freesia answers lightly.

Hakuba narrows his eyes lightly as he nods. It seems plausible enough- his own computer has a laptop to prevent prying eyes from searching it as well, even though he doubts it will do much good if a professional will try to get into it- a professional such as the one in the room with him.

Freesia chuckles, lazily getting up from the couch and moving to the table as she places the laptops next to each other, starting up the silver one and waiting for it to come to life. Hakuba watches her carefully as she types in her password (which seems to hold nineteen letters, numbers and signs) before she turns the laptop to Hakuba. "Have at it." she says, a smile on her lips, challenge in her eyes.

"I will." Hakuba says, moving to the chair at the table and sitting down before staring at the laptop for a few seconds. Where to start? Mail? Folders? Internethistory? He reaches out for the touch pad, figuring that folders will be the fastest for now- but then his phone rings.

Barely suppressing the agitated sigh from escaping his lips ('Honestly, I can't get my work done like this,') he reaches out for his phone, checking the numbers. "Sorry, I'll have to take this." he says, the words [Jap Police - Div. 4] are on his screen.

"Don't mind me." Freesia smiles.

"Hakuba," Hakuba greets into the phone.

"It's Yuuri Amori," comes the voice of the man in charge of the hacker case.

"What is it, Amori-keibu?" Hakuba asks.

"Our hacker has been apprehended. He was caught in the act."

Hakuba blanches, eyes shifting to Freesia who is smiling lightly while seated on the couch, her eyes on the ceiling. 'No way...'

* * *

><p>Uwaa~! So sorry about poofing out of existence you all! Real life caught up to me ;_;<p>

I'm back now though! =D


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